Saturday 07 / June / 2025
Gurugram: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the G7 summit to be held later this month in Canada, former diplomat Anil Trigunayat highlighted significance of the visit, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will talk with top leaders in the summit, especially after the hostilities by Pakistan post Operation Sindoor.
Trigunayat said that as India looks to play a bigger role on the world stage and act as a "bridge builder" East and West, the country has also emerged as a "sane voice" in international discourse.
"PM Modi has been consistently invited and has attended the G7 Summit, especially as India seeks to play a bigger role as a bridge builder between the East and West. We have seen the role PM Narendra Modi played in the Russia-Ukraine crisis and other crises. India has also emerged as a sane voice in the international discourse," he said in a self-made video.
Underlining the importance of the summit, he added, "G7 is a significant grouping, and India's voice counts there, especially in situations like this, where we have just come out of a limited war against Pakistan. PM Modi will be able to speak to all top G7 leaders."
Commenting on the relationship between India and Canada, he said that while earlier it was on a downturn due to former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. However, he added that the current Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, who was sworn in just two months ago, has understood that terrorism cannot be condoned.
"Our relationship with Canada took a downturn because of the previous Canadian government, particularly the Prime Minister, who made it his mission to align Canada with terrorist and extremist countries and groups. Fortunately, the new Prime Minister and dispensation understand that terrorism cannot be condoned under any circumstances," he said.
India-Canada relations had been strained under the leadership of Trudeau following allegations regarding the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Nijjar. However, Carney has publicly called for improving ties with India.
Earlier on Saturday, Chandra Arya, the CEO of the Canada India Public Affairs Council said that he would be happy to welcome PM Modi to Canada for the summit.
"It would be my pleasure to welcome Narendra Modi to Canada for the G7 meeting during June 15-17. When I met Narendra Modi last July, I emphasised that Canada and India are united by shared values--democracy, pluralism, and a rules-based international order," he said.
A Canadian lawmaker, Dallas Brodie highlighted how the invitation to the summit was a "fantastic development."
In an interview with ANI, Dallas Brodie, a Canadian lawyer and MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena in British Columbia, also expressed concern at the Khalistani extremism, saying it is "a significant problem" and most Hindus and Sikhs are not happy with the situation.
In a veiled reference to the previous government in Canada led by Justin Trudeau, Dallas Brodie said that ties between India and Canada had seen a downslide and PM Mark Carney reaching out to India signals that "they want to fix this dynamic" and "is a very positive development".
The G7 summit will be held in Kananaskis, Canada from June 15-17. PM Modi received a call from Mark J Carney, inviting him to attend the upcoming summit.
